As feed prices soar, some farmers are literally shrinking their operations by turning to minicows--cattle half as big as their full-size cousins. The trendy creatures produce proportionally more beef while eating less, some researchers say. They require less space and “don’t tear up the grounds as much as your full-size cows,” one farmer tells the Wall Street Journal.
Some 17,000 of the little critters live in the US, and their population is growing by 20% a year. But not everyone is sold. “Heck no—there's just not enough meat on 'em,” says a rancher. And for some, even mini isn't mini enough. Says one owner: "I'd like them to be a little smaller, so they don't run me over." (More cattle stories.)